Self-Care
When you think of self-care, you may think of a spa day, reading a book in the bath or maybe even a quiet nap. While those are definitely some great self-care options, did you know there are actually seven different types of self-care: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, professional and practical?
A consistent message we hear from caregivers, especially moms of kids with special needs, is around the struggle of being consistent with self-care. If we are honest, consistency can be hard for all of us, but with so much time devoted to care for children with extra needs it can be even more challenging. Since we know you can’t pour from an empty cup, Pause has made it a priority to create self-care opportunities for our caregivers.
Part of our self-care strategy is an annual self-care experience. We challenged moms to take just 5 minutes per day for themselves in the month of April. Five minutes seems so minimal, but when we are constantly doing things for others, taking a few moments to ourselves has been proven to really help!
The #MamaNeedsAHotMinute event (AKA Pause speak for self-care experience) began with a kick-off event to showcase different types of self-care. Ladies were able to paint with feathers, explore mindfulness activities, clean out their purses, write professional goals, practice yoga and so much more within the 35 self-care station options provided!
As part of this experience, participants received a customized self-care box to kick start their month which included tools and strategies to try along their 30 days journey. Throughout the experience, participants and their coaches kept in contact through a Facebook group and messenger to celebrate the wins, provide encouragement on tough days and truly show up for one another in meaningful ways! At the end of the month, everyone celebrated together to share their self-care experiences. Our caregivers were so open and willing to share their experiences with the larger group which helped to reinforce a consistent message - that we are all in this together!
Things caregivers found during this experience:
Five minutes a day actually helps! Caregivers were surprised that this little could make any difference, but it did.
They were already doing self-care they just didn’t know it and self-care was broader and BIGGER than they thought… making it not as intimidating. Self-care can be as quick and easy as taking 5 minutes to breathe, or cleaning out your purse, or taking a walk or a drink!
The impact wasn't just on their stress level, but making self-care a noticeable, small priority that actually impacted their kids and shifted an awareness for everyone in the family. It models that caring for each member and oneself is important!
Some mamas shared with us:
This opportunity came at such a great time! I definitely needed the reminder to prioritize self-care. The part that was most helpful for me was having all the resources and ideas at my fingertips. I think the hardest thing for me in this season is decision fatigue and having to create activity to think of something. I felt cared for, valued, understood and seen!
I enjoyed the experience - it really opened my eyes to the different forms of self care and how easy it can be to implement them. Some days my life circumstances made it feel overwhelming to do them, but I would give myself grace and remind myself that I already have some routines that implement self care throughout the week.
I really enjoyed this experience. I loved connecting to the other moms at the events and through Facebook. This experience made me more aware of the importance of self-care. I was able to learn ways I was already practicing self-care and new ways to practice it such as mediation and journaling. I would recommend this experience for all Pause moms!
#MamaNeedsAHotMinute mamas - we are so proud of the work you did throughout this experience and are truly thankful for your vulnerability and willingness to try something new! Don’t forget, self-care is the BEST care!
This is CAN DO. This is COMMUNITY. This is YOUR SUPPORT.
